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12.10.2010

Leaves Are Free Fertilizer!

In my last post I shared with you how much work the leaves can be around my place. It isn't because I rake them off the lawn or the flower beds.

In fact I leave them on my flower beds because they really help to mulch and insulate my beds over the colder winter months. This helps to save a few of my more tender perennials. Next Spring I will then go out into the beds with some gloves on and crunch those leaves up into smaller bits.

I sweep and rake the leaves off my sidewalks onto my grass because those leaves are free fertilizer! I know most homeowners rake them up and bag them and send them off to the dumps but they are missing out on a really great resource. I even tell the neighbors to dump the leaves over in my yard or even take them out on the back of my property and just dump them in a pile. So far, no one has taken me up on it. I will run over them right in place with my mulching mower. I may have to do this several times but it only takes a little time and this crunches them into bits that really can't be seen too much. I then fertilize my yard with some dried molasses and this will get the microbial action going in my dirt. I only use traditional store bought fertilizer once a year because it can cause a build up of salts in your soil which is why some lawns will peak out and then not look so pretty. The traditional fertilizers feed the plant. My way, feeds the soil which then feeds the plant. I am always having people ask me how I get my lawn so green and this is how. I only water once a week during the summer and I water deeply about 1 hour in each spot. This has been a fool proof way that has rewarded me with beautiful green grass.

Now back to those leaves...they cause me lots of work because they love to land on my driveway. I will have to sweep and scoop them up several times over the season (especially since my son has gone off to college and can't help me out as much). Sometimes it seems like I will never catch up with the leaves falling.

Right now this pile isn't so bad but it can really get huge when we have a bit of wind.

We have only just begun too. Look at all those leaves still to go!

And even more over on this one! I wish they would just fall straight down but the wind will come and blow them right onto the driveway! Oh well, at least I am saving a bit of money on winter mulch and fertilizer.

I don't think anyone bags leaves here. You're right, they do help mulch tender plants over winter. However in our damp climate they lead to a lot of moss if left on the lawn, so I do have to go a bit of raking. Never as much as I should.

We certainly miss the muscle power of our young men when they go off to university!

With three towering Sweet Gum trees, I can attest to the merits of leaves...and the consternation. Here it is almost mid December and my trees still have at least half their leaves. My son, bless his heart, collects them with his riding lawn mower which shreds them nicely. It's a huge chore but one that pays nicely when I lift them up and see earthworms. Hail to the leaf!